Approximately 30 of the 500 sales agents for Snow Brand Milk Products Co. in six prefectures in western Japan have effectively been put out of business by the June 29 outbreak of food poisoning linked to milk made at the company's Osaka plant, government officials said Monday.

The 30 retail stores selling dairy products under contract with Snow Brand in Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara and Wakayama prefectures have been unable to continue business due to consumer boycotts or halts to the supply of products, said the officials at the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry.

The remaining 470 stores are selling products supplied by other dairy-product makers at Snow Brand's request, according to a survey by the ministry on the fallout from the spreading food-poisoning scandal on retailers.

"Most of the 30 stores are virtually out of business and few of them seem willing to resume business," said Yuki Takagi, vice minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

The ministry will continue surveying the effects of the food-poisoning scandal on Snow Brand's sales agents elsewhere in Japan, the officials said. Snow Brand has about 3,200 sales agents nationwide.

Snow Brand has offered its sales agents postponed collection of payments, interest-free loans and repurchase of returned products as emergency relief measures, the officials said.